Category: Politics

If too many people assume Clinton has the election locked down, and use that assumption as their basis for not voting for her, she could lose. But even if the assumption is right—even if you're a young progressive from California who believes with excellent reason that your vote won't possibly be decisive—the Tribune's line of thinking comes at a hefty price. This year the 'lesser of two evils' rationale isn't just an uninspiring appeal to risk aversion. It's about making a positive and important statement to the world that in America, a racist authoritarian can not get within a hair's breadth of the presidency—and that, if one happens to become a major party nominee, he will be defeated soundly." ~ Brian Buetler

From Eclectablog, October 2013:

I've had it. Enough is enough. Our country has been held hostage since the 2010 midterm elections by a vocal minority that somehow thinks if they scream loud enough, waving woefully misspelled signs and threatening their puppet-strung representatives with primary challenges, the rest of us will just have to fall in line.

Over the last couple of years, I've watched Tea Party extremists put gun targets on maps of the districts of people like Gabby Giffords. Even before she was shot in the head, a reporter asked her if she was afraid of rhetoric like that. I've heard the shouts of angry mobs suggesting a female candidate be raped with a hot curling iron. I've heard lie after lie after lie about nearly everything imaginable, many coming from my own U.S. Representative, Kerry Bentivolio, who won his seat in large part by spreading lies and creating fear Because his opponent, Dr. Syed Taj, is a Muslim.

The extremists tell us over and over that this is a Christian country. No other faith — or a lack of faith — will be tolerated, apparently. We must live by their rules or suffer the consequences. I have no problem with whatever faith someone chooses to practice or not practice. But my beliefs are my choice, not theirs.

In Michigan, there's been legislation proposed that would let healthcare providers and hospitals dictate medical decisions for the rest of us based on their religious or moral views. Similar legislation may move forward letting adoption agencies use the same criteria for making placement decisions.

Right to Life of Michigan is trying to force legislation on the state that would require women to buy a separate insurance policy for an abortion, bullying their way past both voters and Republicans like Governor Rick Snyder. Because they don't believe in abortion, they want to make it harder, if not impossible, for women to have one — even though it's legal for any American woman to make that choice. Many groups like this don't think employer-provided insurance should cover birth control, either. Yet many of these same people are claiming that Obamacare "gets between you and your doctor" in making medical decisions. Setting aside the fact that it's a complete lie, explain to me how that isn't completely hypocritical.

The anti-Obamacare extremists have spread more lies than I can even keep track of, because they "don't want to pay for everyone else's healthcare." Well, neither do I. But I will be until the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate kicks in on January 1, every time someone uses the emergency room for a routine health matter because they don't want to buy insurance. I'm not talking about those who can't afford it, who will be covered by Medicaid expansion in Michigan. I'm talking about people who choose not to buy insurance. I pay my premiums every month so I can get care when I need it. The penalty imposed on those who can afford insurance but choose not to buy it is a small price to pay for unlimited free visits to the expensive emergency room. Tea Partiers claim to be all about individual responsibility, except when it comes to paying for their own healthcare, it seems.

This weekend, Members of the U.S. Congress will speak at the Values Voter Summit, where they will spread despicable lies about the LGBT community, African Americans, Hispanics, women and anyone else they choose to vilify — all in the name of "family values." It's a conference of extremism, and these representatives will stand up proudly and display their hate for all to see, encouraging their followers to take that hate into the streets.

The entire American economy is headed for a freefall if the extremist factions of the GOP get their way and don't fund the government, which they say they're determined to do if their demands aren't met. This is extortion, plain and simple, and it's a plan that's been in the works for months.

They claim President Obama is unwilling to negotiate, but he's rightly said he'll gladly negotiate if extremists stop holding a gun to the head of the American people. Not to mention that President Obama and the Democrats have negotiated, time and time again. The GOP has run out of "good faith" negotiating tokens. And if those of us who are sick of the extremists' reign of terror vote against them in 2014, they'll run out of power, too.

The Affordable Care Act is the law. Roe v. Wade is the law. The right of Americans to practice the religion they choose — to lead the life they choose — is woven into the fabric of everything we stand for in this country. Yet a few extremists are willing to tear our entire country apart just so they can force everyone to live they way they think we should, instead of letting each of us live the way we choose.

I never again want to hear Tea Party extremists claim they're fighting for their liberty. Because they're actually fighting for their narrow-minded beliefs and, in the process, they're trying to take away the rightful liberties of everyone else in this country who doesn't share their views.

That is as un-American as it gets.

…who doesn't wanna see Mark Ruffalo's junk? Get your asses out there and VOTE on November 8th!

Worth noting these two messages this morning.

Clinton Message: Be vigilant, not afraid.

Trump Message: Be afraid, also give me credit.

This will crack you up ?? #rofl #repost #share #trump #nyc #newyorkcity #california #unionsquare #sanfrancisco #losangeles #vegas #texas #boston #picoftheday #randompic #donaldtrump #trumpforpresident #democrat #republican #manhattan #statue #sculpture #sanfranciscobay #hollywood #celebrity #structure #nude #naked #moscow #melbourne

A photo posted by Abhishek (@arpthegooner) on Aug 18, 2016 at 9:33am PDT

#DonaldTrump #statue #unionsquare #nyc #manhattan

A photo posted by Alfonso Quiroz (@quiroza) on Aug 18, 2016 at 9:41am PDT

The revealing public art was the work of INDECLINE. Watch the video below to see the statues (which have also popped up in San Francisco, Cleveland, Seattle and Los Angeles) being made.

When Trump loses in a jaw-dropping landslide in November—virtually wiped out, outside the hatred-and-resentment-fueled Deep South—it will be a very personal defeat. No one will be able to blame conservative ideology or the Republican platform for the massive ass-whoopin' that's coming Trump's way. He is going to be labeled the Ultimate Loser in American History and it's all personal. What the voters are rejecting is Trump himself—his essence as a human being, his ugly, deformed personality, his unsuitable temperament, and his horrible nature/mental illnesses. By October, the battleground states are going to be Montana, Kansas, Arizona and Georgia, with Trump desperately trying to claw his way back towards a win in South Carolina and Kentucky. He'll be lucky for every electoral vote over 150 he gets—and if he keeps provoking Ted Cruz, the election's biggest surprise could come in the Texas suburbs of Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin." ~ Down With Tyranny

I read this morning that people (at least in Florida) who intend to vote for Trump say they are doing it because he is the candidate most likely to bring change.

Granted, the kind change that the Mangled Apricot Hellbeast intends to bring is something that neither this country—or the planet—can afford, much less survive. But the question that keeps coming back to me is why do people want this so-called change thingie? Human beings are notoriously resistant to change, and only accept it when it is forced upon them by outside forces (see: Global Warming).

What exactly is the change they hope to see? It seems to be a return to the mythical Ozzie-and-Harriet Father-Knows-Best Leave-It-To-Beaver days of the 1950s—scenarios that never really existed to begin with—not anything that would actually improve this country and move it forwards.

What these racist, bigoted, misogynistic, homophobic (did I leave anyone out?) voters seem to be wanting is not change per se, but rather a return to "the way things were." You know, back to an era when a woman's place was in the home, minorities knew to bow before their masters, and those pesky HO-MOsexuals stayed in the goddamn closet.

They aren't asking for change; they're clamoring for change to stop and time to go backward in a fear-driven response to the rapid societal changes that are taking place around them. These changes are leaving them bewildered and fearful for loss of the way of life they came to accept as "right" and "proper" and "the way things have always been."

And no one seems to see the irony in that.

Sorry folks, it doesn't work like that. Civilization moves forward—unless it finds itself with the nuclear codes in the hand of a tiny-fingered Cheeto-faced ferret-wearing shitgibbon—and then all bets are off.

From democraticreview.com:

It's no secret that the Republican Party is in self-destruct mode. No less prominent Republicans than former President George W. Bush (who almost looks honorable compared to Trump) have stated that he (Bush) is probably "the last Republican President." Many within the party are disgusted that their party has become entirely co-opted by The Donald and is now effectively the Party of Trump.

One such person is Texas Republican Chris Ladd who runs the website goplifer.com, whose tagline is "Because leaving isn't actually an option." well, guess what? Chris Ladd, the "GOP Lifer," just left. He just released this AWESOME resignation letter from the party. Check it out:

The Iraq War, the financial meltdown, the utter failure of supply-side theory, climate denial, and our strange pursuit of theocratic legislation have all been troubling. Yet it seemed that America's party of commerce, trade, and pragmatism might still have time to sober up. Remaining engaged in the party implied a contribution to that renaissance, an investment in hope. Donald Trump has put an end to that hope.

From his fairy-tale wall to his schoolyard bullying and his flirtation with violent racists, Donald Trump offers America a singular narrative—a tale of cowards. Fearful people, convinced of our inadequacy, trembling before a world alight with imaginary threats, crave a demagogue. Neither party has ever elevated to this level a more toxic figure, one that calls forth the darkest elements of our national character.

With three decades invested in the Republican Party, there is a powerful temptation to shrug and soldier on. Despite the bold rhetoric, we all know Trump will lose. Why throw away a great personal investment over one bad nominee? Trump is not merely a poor candidate, but an indictment of our character. Preserving a party is not a morally defensible goal if that party has lost its legitimacy.

Ouch! Ladd wasn't through. He continued:

Fast-forward to our present leadership and the nature of our dilemma is clear. I watched Paul Ryan speak at Donald Trump's convention the way a young child watches his father march off to prison. Thousands of Republican figures that loathe Donald Trump, understand the danger he represents, and privately hope he loses, are publicly declaring their support for him. In Illinois our local and state GOP organizations, faced with a choice, have decided on complicity.

Our leaders' compromise preserves their personal capital at our collective cost. Their refusal to dissent robs all Republicans of moral cover. Evasion and cowardice has prevailed over conscience. We are now, and shall indefinitely remain, the Party of Donald Trump.

I will not contribute my name, my work, or my character to an utterly indefensible cause. No sensible adult demands moral purity from a political party, but conscience is meaningless without constraints. A party willing to lend its collective capital to Donald Trump has entered a compromise beyond any credible threshold of legitimacy. There is no redemption in being one of the "good Nazis."

I hereby resign my position as a York Township Republican committeeman. My thirty-year tenure as a Republican is over.

The rats are fleeing the sinking ship!

"You will never win a fight savaging the parents of a dead soldier. So it's a fight you simply don't engage in. A smart terrible person would get this and say something along the lines of (assuming you wanted to maintain the policies blocking Muslim immigration): 'I grieve for the Khans' loss and I very much respect their opinion and their courage. But I believe the policy I have outlined is necessary for our national security for the following reasons …' Trump doesn't seem terribly bright. But this isn't about intelligence as we test it with logic puzzles. Realizing that this would be the only way to respond requires a level of self-awareness a narcissist lacks and a degree of impulse control Trump simply does not have." ~ Josh Marshall

From Margaret and Helen, a couple of wonderfully erudite, supposedly old ladies I've been following since the Bush nightmare. They don't post all that often, but when they do, they slam it out of the park:

FROM HELEN:

Margaret, I watched that jackass in Cleveland and lost my voice.  I saw a Presidential nominee paint a picture of an America I don't know and have never known. I tried to respond but I couldn't find the words. I watched his wife lie to a reporter saying that she had written every word of her speech.  When she hadn't, I watched the media say it wasn't her fault. I tried to respond but couldn't find the words.  I listened to children who have known only life's riches praise a father who had made his riches by cheating others.  I tried to respond but I couldn't find the words.  I watched an audience shout down a Senator when he told them to vote their conscience.  I tried to respond but I couldn't find the words.  I watched amazed as Trump got more popular rather than less and truly I couldn't find the words.   But last night, I watched a battle-worn President who had been unjustly treated and unfairly maligned rise above it all.  I watched Barack Obama, my President, paint a different picture, a beautiful picture of hope, kindness, forgiveness and humility.  And now I am going to respond because I have indeed found my words.  Screw you, Mr. Trump.  You better give your heart to Jesus because your butt is mine and I plan to kick your ass from the bottom floor to the top floor of Trump Tower and then down again.   As I live and breathe, you will never be President.  Never.

I have always said that even when I watch my P's and Q's, I can still spell bullshit.  Eight years ago, Sarah Palin walked onto the world stage and American politics hit a new low.   I saw a bitch and I called her a bitch.  She spewed hatred, fear and ignorance better than any hillbilly I had ever known. I have no regrets for calling her a bitch.  Palin was a joke.  Trump, however, is no joke.  He is the real deal.  He is the bitch to rule all bitches.   Trump has an ego the size of my ass (and trust me when I tell you that is one yuuuuuuuuge ass).  Everything he does is for selfish reasons, fueled by greed and motivated by power.

Salty language and a strong opinion don't bother me.  Saying what's on your mind is usually a good thing.  Usually.  But what's on Trumps mind isn't fit for human consumption. It's just hatred, fear and plain old racism.  He put together a carnival in Cleveland to make the case that America has become a horrible place that no longer has time for political correctness.  But I am here to tell you that speaking your mind and being politically correct are not mutually exclusive.  Political correctness is having the emotional intelligence and decency not to use language, evoke images or take actions that marginalize, offend or otherwise insult people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against.  Kind of sounds like something Jesus would support if you ask me.

The America he described is not the America I know.  In fact, it's not the America anyone knows.  The rest of us know an America of hard-working, compassionate people who no longer have time to hate and who don't aspire to harass and humiliate their fellow countrymen.  The America we know wants to end poverty, end war, educate our children and take care of our elderly. We welcome diversity because we are and always have been the world's great melting pot. Our America has been and always will be great.  Trump sees America as some ugly girl just waiting for him to take her to the prom.  It's bullshit and we all know it.

Trump takes offense that President Obama and Secretary Clinton don't use the expression Extreme Islamic Terrorist,  suggesting, I guess, that all Islamic people are terrorist but some are just more extreme.  Funny.  Whenever another old, white man blows up an abortion clinic, I don't hear anyone calling him an Extreme Christian Terrorist.  Why?  Because you don't attribute the bad actions of a few Christians to the entire Christian faith any more than you should attribute terrorism to the entire religion of Islam.  You don't, of course, unless you are trying to stir up a bunch of ignorant mouth breathers that have been drawn to the talk radio/Fox News/Sarah Palin/Michelle Bachman brand of Republicanism that is today's Republican base. Trump's America seems to be one filled with roaming bands of brown gypsies raping and pillaging at will. I guess the view from Trump Towers is somewhat skewed when you watch Fox News and listen to talk radio all day. To him, there is evil in anyone who doesn't bow to his perceived greatness.

Trump is partly right.  Evil is indeed alive and well in America. It's just not as widespread as he would like to scare us into believing. It seems to be alive and well in about 4% of the population –  roughly equal to the number of votes cast for Trump during the primaries.   Coincidence?  I think not. And funny enough, the worst of them all decided to travel to Cleveland last week.

Donald.  You sir are no Reagan. You are no Kennedy. No Clinton. You are no Obama.  You aren't even a Bush. You are a self-aggrandizing, hatred-spewing, lying sack of shit.  And yes, I realize that my name- calling is just as bad as yours.  But I am not running for President.  You are.   So be a man and act like it.  Sadly, I sincerely doubt you can.

The Republican Party, the party that likes to think it has a monopoly on god, family values and patriotism, owes America an enormous apology.  Palin was bad enough, but Trump is inexcusable.  I mean it.  Really.

FROM MARGARET:

Helen, you had better sit down for this. I have news. It's happened and we've both lived to see it. After watching three nights of the Democratic convention, my Howard woke up this morning and told me that he, a dyed in the wool Republican, will be voting for Hillary Clinton in November.

Helen, dear, I have now seen it all and I am planning to wear my Sunday best everyday because I could now drop dead at any given moment. He's with her. I couldn't be happier. You should be too. Have some pie. We've got this.